Pulwama college incident: Principal absolved after inquiry

Srinagar, Apr 28 (PTI) The principal of Pulwama Degree College has been absolved of any wrongdoing by an official inquiry panel in trying to stop security personnel from entering his college.

The inquiry conducted by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Khan, has been completed within a week’s time and its report submitted to Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Alftaf Bukhari, who had ordered the probe into alleged highhandedness of security forces against the students of the college.

“The inquiry has been completed and its report was submitted yesterday,” the officials said.

They said the inquiry absolved Abdul Hameed Sheikh, the principal of the college.

“Nothing has been found against him and he would be reinstated soon,” the officials said.

They, however, declined to comment further on the findings of the inquiry.

Sheikh was removed from his post and the charge handed over to a senior faculty member after the government ordered the inquiry into the incident of stone-pelting on security forces who had entered the college premises on April 15.

Dozens of students were injured in security forces action.

Several videos, purportedly showing security forces personnel thrashing the students and forcing them to shout abuses at Pakistan, went viral.

In one of the videos, the college principal confronts the security forces as they were entering the premises of the educational institution.

He is purportedly seen shouting at cops, telling them to kill him first before entering the college premises.

The Pulwama incident led to massive protests by students across the Valley, forcing the authorities to shut the colleges for five days last week.